Check valve for vent hole of a container



Sept. 17, 1968 J. ANDERSON CHECK VALVE FOR VENT HOLE OF A CONTAINER 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.

INVENTQR. James HIVDfEJ'ON BYg/g1 H15 ATTORNEYS Sept. 1968 J. ANDERSON3,401,850

CHECK VALVE FOR VENT HOLE OF A CONTAINER I iled Dec. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet2 INVENTOR. AME: filvoeesmv flaw/5. Mm.

HIS ATTORNEK' United States Patent 3,401,850 CHECK VALVE FOR VENT HOLEOFA CONTAINER James Anderson, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, assignor toElectrolux Corporation, Old Greenwich, Conn., a corporation of DelawareFiled Dec. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 599,578 7 Claims. (Cl. 222482) ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE A. check valve to prevent the escape of liquid through avent hole of a container. The check valve defines a chamber locatedbetween the inner Wall of a container and the adjacent surface of thecheck valve. The vent hole of the container communicates with thischamber so that atmospheric pressure acts on an area of the check valvewhich is much larger than the area of the vent hole, as a result, thecheck valve operates to vent the tank when only a small differentialpressure exists.

Background of the invention A closed liquid container which has separatefiller and discharge openings must be provided with a vent as is wellknown. In many circumstances such a container will be accidentally orintentionally positioned so that the contents can leak out through thevent which is normally open at all times. As a result some measure mustbe taken to open the vent when discharging the tank and keeping the ventclosed at all other times.

Summary of the invention The improvement according to my inventionprovides an inexpensive automatically operated vent, and in accordancewith a presently preferred embodiment comprises a vented cap for thefiller opening of a container. The container may be a picnic jug whichcan he accidentally tipped over without the spillage or a rug shampoocontainer adapted to be fitted on the handle of a floor treatingmachine, such as disclosed in US. Patent No. 3,153,251, in which thehandle is intentionally lowered into a horizontal position when cleaningunder a piece of furniture such as a table or chair. However, theinvention is applicable to any container which requires an automatic,leakproof vent.

An object of my invention therefore is to provide a vent for a liquidcontainer which is normally closed and opens only when liquid iswithdrawn from the container.

Another object of my invention is to provide a filler cap having a ventaccording to the foregoing object which is inexpensively manufacturedand assembled.

A more general object of my invention is to provide an improvedcontainer for liquids which has separate filler and discharge openings.

The foregoing objects and advantages together with additional advantagesand features of my invention will become apparent from the followingdescription of a presently preferred embodiment of the inventionillustrated in the accompanying drawing.

Brief description of drawing FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view ofa container having a filler cap according to my invention in which thevent is open.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the filler cap per se.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional vie-w of the tiller cap according toFIGS. 1 and 2 in which the vent is closed.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a container and filler cap in aninclined position with the vent closed.

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FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the filler cap used as a measuringcup.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a check valve according tothe invention.

Description of preferred embodiment In FIG. 1 reference numeral 10designates a container which may be a picnic jug or a shampoo tank for afloor treating machine having a filler opening .11 and a separate,valved discharge opening 12. The discharge valve 13 is actuated by apush button 14 connected to the rod 15 for opening the valve 13 which isnormally held in closed position by spring 16. The push button 14 islocated in a recess 10a formed in the container 10 to prevent accidentaldepression of the button and loss of the liquid contents. The recess 10ais large enough to allow a person to insert a finger to reach the button14. The opening 17 through which the valve rod 15 passes, is sealed by asleeve 18 of elastic material which engages the rod, or in any othersatisfactory known manner.

The'filler opening 11 of the container 10 is threaded internally, andclosed by a cap or plug generally designated 20. The cap 20 has an endwall 22 and a threaded portion on the exterior of a cylindrical skirt orsidewall 21 which matches the thread of opening 11. The end wall 22 ofthe cap is configured to provide an inwardly extending central portion23 having a vent hole 24, and an axial opening 25 which is adapted toreceive the domed projection or rivet-like nipple 31 of the generallycupshaped check valve The check valve 30 is assembled with the cap 20 bysimply inserting an elongated pin loosely into the hollow bore of therivet-like part of the valve and pushing the domed head of the valveinto the opening 25 provided for it in the end wall 22. The dome of thenipple 31 is received in a central recess of the end wall to preventaccidental disassembly or dislodging of the valve 30 from the end wall22 of the closure cap 20.

In FIG. 1 the valve 13 is shown open and liquid is being discharged asindicated by the arrows. When the pressure within the container 10 isreduced below atmospheric the check valve 30 is deformed or bowedinwardly slightly as seen on an exaggerated scale by the dash lines inFIG. 3 thereby bleeding air through vent 24, around the marginal edge ofthe check valve 30 and into the container 20.

Referring to the enlarged detail view in FIG. 3, it should be noted thatthe check valve 30, in its closed position, bears against shoulder 22aof the end wall 22 which surrounds the opening 25, and the marginal edgeof the valve bears lightly against the end wall 22 at 40. Between thesetwo bearing areas an annular enclosed space 50 is formed whichcommunicates with vent 24. Because of the vent hole 24, air atatmospheric pressure is always contained in the annular space 50 and asa result the area of the valve acted upon by atmospheric pressure isonly slightly less than the area of the inner surface of the check valveacted on by internal pressure within the container. Therefore the checkvalve can be unseated by a slight decrease in pressure within thecontainer. That is, if the space 50 was eliminated and the check valve30 directly overlies the vent hole 24, atmospheric pressure would onlyoperate on an area of the check valve equal to the area of the vent holeand a large drop in pressure within the container would be required toopen the check valve. On the other hand when the tank is tilted, as seenin FIG. 4 or the filler cap is used as a measuring cup, FIG. 5, which itmay be by virtue of the extended skirt portion 21, the check valve isurged by the liquid against the end wall 22 preventing leakage throughthe vent hole. Also, the force at is light or small so that the vent isopened by a small pressure drop in the container.

The check valve is preferably composed of an elastic material such asrubber, and is of thin gauge to obtain a high degree of deformability orpliability.

An equivalent arrangement to that disclosed in FIG. 3 and describedabove for defining the space 50, is to form a shoulder on the checkvalve, as seen in FIG. 1, which performs the same function as shoulder22a of the end wall 22.

As indicated above the check valve is preferably held against the endwall 22. However, the check valve 30 may be loosely held by therivet-like portion 31 in the end wall 22 so that the vent holecommunicates with the interior of the tank at all times except when thetank is tilted or the weight of fluid urges the check valve intointimate engagement with the end wall 22 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.However, the space 50 is still provided when the check valve is seatedin the end wall to prevent the check valve from hearing directly againstthe vent hole 24 and requiring a large pressure differential tosubsequently unseat the check valve.

As seen in FIG. 6, the check valve 30 is formed with a relatively heavywall section 32 and a thinner flange portion 33. The marginal edge ofthe flange 33 forms a small angle such as shown in the figure with theradial plane passing through the marginal edge. The oppositely directedrigidifying skirt portion 34 of the check valve is provided to seat theflange 33 over 360 under the condition shown in FIG. 4 wherein theliquid engages only a portion of the check valve.

The foregoing description of a presently preferred embodiment of myinvention is given by way of example and is not intended to limit theinvention to the exact structure shown since it will be apparent thatvariation and modification are possible without departing from theforegoing teaching.

What is claimed is:

1. A closure cap member for a liquid container, said cap having an endwall, and a vent hole in said end wall for venting said container; theimprovement comprising an imperforate generally concave check valve ofpliable material, means for connecting said check valve on the insidesurface of said end wall for preventing escape of liquid through saidvent hole and defining an enclosed chamber between said end wall andcheck valve, said vent hole communicating with said chamber; saidchamber exposing a substantial surface area of said check valve toatmospheric pressure which enters said chamber through said vent holerelative to the surface area of said vent hole whereby said check valveis unseated by a small pressure differential acting on said check valvewhen liquid is withdrawn from said container.

2. A closure cap according to claim 1 in combination with a liquidcontainer having a filler opening adapted to receive said closure cap,and a discharge opening in said container remote from said filleropening, valve means operatively associated with said discharge opening,said valve means including a push button recessed in a wall of saidcontainer for preventing opening of said valve means by accidentaldepression of said push button.

3. A closure cap according to claim 1 with the addition of a axiallyextending cylindrical side wall for providing a measuring cup integralwith said cap; said end wall having a raised central portion fordefining an annular axially extending recess adjacent the cylindricalside wall, concavity of said check valve the central portion of said endwall having an inwardly extending shoulder portion for separating saidcheck valve from the remainder of said central portion and defining saidenclosed space.

4. A closure cap according to claim 3 wherein said check valve comprisesa generally cup-shaped body of elastomeric material having a centralrivet-like portion, a disc-shaped portion and a peripheral inclinedflange portion for defining an annular depression between said raisedand flanged portion, said disc-shaped portion overlying the centralportion of said end wall in spaced relation, said flange portionterminating in a radially extending marginal edge for engaging said endwall within the recess thereof.

5. A closure cap according to claim 4 wherein said check valve has aridge integral with the periphery of said skirt, said ridge extendingaxially of said check valve in the direction opposite said inclinedflange portion.

6. A closure cap according to claim 4 wherein said means for connectingsaid check valve on said end well comprises a central aperture in saidend wall surrounded by said shoulder portion, the central raised portionof said check valve defining a hollow rivet-like member having a shankreceivable in said central aperture.

7. A closure cap according to claim 1 wherein said cap is provided withan extended side wall for forming a measuring cup.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,159,176 12/1964 Russell et al.137--493.1 1,950,325 3/1934 Punte 315-56 X 2,319,517 5/1943 Rand222--510 X 2,653,734 9/1953 Stoker 222471 X 2,893,037 7/1959 Strong 1550X 3,037,522 6/1962 Millan 137512.15 X 3,099,028 7/ 1963 Ardito 15-503,258,178 6/1966 Gran 222-482 3,337,900 8/1967 Schwartzman 137512.15 X3,302,822 2/ 1967 Edwards 22044 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

N. L. STACK, Assistant Examiner.

